5 NBA Players Obsessed NBA Fans Follow on Twitter

No, Amar'e Stoudemire won't be making this list, and not just because his dwindling fan following is anything but obsessed.

The New York Knicks' very own late-night punchline was fined $50,000 by the NBA in June after it was revealed that he "tweeted a gay slur" to a fan via direct message. Needless to say, it probably wasn't the best way to rack up new followers.

The misstep was, however, symptomatic of just how prevalent social networks have become as a means of connecting NBA celebrities to their fans.

Twitter has given stars an opportunity to sound off and provide an off-the-court glimpse to the lives of the ever-richer and famous hoops elite. For fans who are as interested in the personalities behind their teams as the teams themselves, this kind of electronic voyeurism is long overdue.

Here are five players whose tweets are like manna from heaven for fans who just can't get enough.

Steve Nash, Los Angeles Lakers

You'd probably associate Steve Nash with a few things before thinking of Twitter. A couple of MVP awards and a legendary approach to the point guard position come to mind.

That didn't stop HoopsHype from naming Nash the 2011 "Tweeter of the Year," in recognition of his efforts to keep fans appraised of anything and everything going on in the life of an NBA superstar. The world-renowned nice guy is a good one to follow, too.

He's as much a phenomena in street clothes as he is in his uniform.

But, if you thought he had a legion of committed fans before, just wait until he gets through a full season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jeremy Lin, Houston Rockets

Jeremy Lin already has over 870,000 followers on Twitter, and that number is sure to grow.

He hasn't even started a full season's worth of games, and he's already one of the most well known and beloved NBA stars on the planet.

His appeal goes far beyond basketball. From his appeal to Asian American demographics and overseas markets to his resonance with evangelical Christians, Lin symbolizes the ability of an athlete to transcend the game itself.

He may not yet be the most prolific tweeter, but you can rest assured his hoards of committed fans will take what they can get.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Despite his occasional detours into unmistakably emo territory, there's just no denying that Kevin Durant's portfolio of tweets is every bit as likable as he is.

Which is to say, very.

The consummate professional is also one heck of a nice guy, both on and off the court. After five years of meteoric stardom, he's never forgotten who he is. His tweets are proof as much.

In a league typified by big names with enormous egos, Durant is a welcomed break from the monotony. He doesn't need a script or a team of PR consultants. He need only be himself, a surprising dose of humility in a game suffering from the exact opposite.

Yes, there are still a few good guys out there, and fans have taken notice. KD has 2.7 million Twitter followers and counting.

Metta World Peace, Los Angeles Lakers

But, they're always entertaining. That much is certain. Twitter is the perfect outlet for a guy like World Peace. As much as he's done for basketball, he's done even more for a media starved for something to talk about.

Jared Dudley, Phoenix Suns

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

OK, so Jared Dudley only has a hair over 120,000 followers.

But, if those followers pay attention to even a fraction of this guy's prolific output, they at the very least deserve some credit for their devotion. By the looks of things, Dudley tweets more often than he scores.

If your aim is to track a guy's activity from one minute to the next, Dudley has what you're looking for.